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Ara Howrani, 27, took over Howrani Studios in 2005, after his father suffered from a stroke.

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Courtesy of Howrani Studios

Howrani Studios was hired by The Parade Co. to shoot America's Thanksgiving Parade.

Photo

Nathan Skid

Jennifer Quigley is a Detroit-based artist/Jane of all trades.

Thanksgiving has come and gone. Still, I don't think it is too late to say, I hope everyone had a good one. We all deserve the love and the pumpkin pie (hugged in miles of whipped cream).

Mine was a family-filled weekend. I returned home to find myself autopiloting it over to Atlas Global Bistro for a glass of wine. Not until Molly Steggerda, chef at Zaccaro's Market, said I looked “shell-shocked” did I realize I had overindulged in family and food.

Happy to be home, I promptly sipped my wine, shook off my shell-shocked state and laid out my notes on Ara Howrani of Howrani Studios.

I chose to write about Ara because he was contracted to photograph our Thanksgiving Parade. I was pleased and, let's face it, totally relieved, to find a very nice, talented person in Ara, but I'll get to more of that later.

Howrani Studios is in the old Jam Handy building, at 2820 E. Grand Blvd. His father, Ameen, bought the building in 1982, after his Eastern Market building burned down. The new place was renovated into a studio and four loft spaces. Since then, they’ve added four more loft spaces, a community garden and a basketball hoop for the neighborhood kids.

Ameen was and still is a highly respected photographer and one of Detroit's biggest non-celebrity celebrities. Can you get Dennis Rodman to show up at your party? Ameen can.

He’s best known for his uncanny ability to find art in the smallest corners of Detroit. Ara says his dad could be in a bar, bus station, street, or wherever, and see something in someone that he had to photograph. He knows exactly how to calm nerves and pose a subject — never letting art disappear with the passage of time.

I love this story find it so inspiring to capture art in the making, aka life.

In 2005, Ameen's health tragically diminished with a stroke. Ara was 24 at the time, working in Los Angeles as a director's assistant. When he got the phone call from his mom, he hopped on the first plane back to Detroit. Shortly after, he paid his L.A. landlord to pack up his belongings, shove them into his 1978 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme and ship the big package back to Detroit on a freight train.

Ara hasn't looked back since.

When I asked if he thinks about returning to L.A., he said, "No, I'm in Detroit for the long haul — ready to ride the wave here. I love what Detroit has to offer in creative fundamental ways, versus cities that are overly saturated."

Although, profits from the studio are down this year, Ara has held his dad's clients and forged new relationships with Detroit Renaissance Inc., Federal-Mogul Corp., Detroit International Jazz Festival, Crain Communications Inc., Detroit’s Electronic Music Festival, Detroit Riverfront Conservancy, American University of the Caribbean and Gyro Creative.

Ara also has a background in film, which earned it a place on the studio roster — something his dad never pursued.

"I really want to do music videos, commercials, corporate film," he says.

Ara and Ameen have different interests, but most seem to be genetically inherited or at least taught.

Part of Ara’s inheritance is the title of property manager for his father’s eight rental properties. He’s always looking for more work, naturally, but for now he’ll use the semi-slow time to reorganize the studio and get more involved in the community.

A couple of weeks ago, Ara picked me up for a Detroit Synergy meeting at the DIA. I had my first flat tire that day. He’s still driving his ’78 Cutlass, which has a very comfortable, light blue interior, I might add.

Over a light dinner at the Caf� DIA — plus desserts, a wise recommendation from his sister — we talked a lot about architecture in the city, people, art and other positive aspects of Detroit.

Ara says he wants to teach after-school programs and be more involved in organizations like Detroit Synergy, a nonprofit dedicated to revitalizing Detroit.

When will he find the time to do all of this? I'm not sure. He seems to have his hands pretty full.

Anyway, I started the night knowing very little of Ara. I left having met a wonderful photographer/filmmaker and community-spirited citizen with genuine intent to unite the city.

He's a diamond in the Detroit rough who isn't going anywhere. You, too, are a diamond — polished or unpolished — who strengthens Detroit’s creative muscle.

As I wrap this up from a borrowed cubicle, I’ll add that I feel compelled to jump on a small, 10-second soap box and say: By working together and hiring each other, we strengthen our downtown economy. What comes around goes around has never rung so true as is does now in an economic fashion.